This has been the most incredible tomato year in history. I’ve never had such a bumper crop and if the weather cooperates I could possibly have tomatoes through Thanksgiving—move over turkey, we’re having ratatouille this year.
Because of the beautiful bounty I’ve been making mason jar after mason jar of fresh tomato juice. It gives you the kind of pick up in the afternoon that I think the makers of Emergen-C were going for but never quite nailed. It is the kind of pick me up I always wish I will get from that slice of banana bread and cup of coffee I generally desire around 3pm, which inevitably make me feel nothing, except hungry for more banana bread.
With all this tomato juice floating around it dawned on me that I should also be making pitcher after pitcher of Micheladas, that sensational beer cocktail from our genius friends in Mexico. There are many ways to make a Michelada, but I tend to go with convention, so the best way is to make a big pitcher like the street vendors do with tons of lime, a little tamarind, and equal parts of very cold tomato juice and beer.
Rim the glasses with a chile-salt mixture and serve the cocktail with plenty of ice and a lime wedge.

Fresh Tomato Michelada with Tamarind
Ingredients
- Juice from 1/2 a lime (about 1/2 ounce)
- 1 teaspoon tamarind paste
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 3-4 drops hot sauce (or to taste)
- 12 ounces cold fresh tomato juice (or bottled)
- 12 ounces cold beer
- salt, ground cayenne pepper, lime wedges, and ice to serve
Instructions
- In a large pitcher combine lime juice and tamarind paste. With the back of a long wooden spoon mash the tamarind into the lime juice until it is smooth (remove any pits). Add Worcestershire, hot sauce, tomato juice, and beer and stir to combine.
- Combine a generous spoonful of salt with a pinch of cayenne on a small plate. Run a lime wedge around the rim of 4 highball glasses. Tap the top of each glass in the salt mixture until evenly covered. Fill glasses with ice and divide Michelada between the glasses. Place a lime wedge in each glass and serve.
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Woah, this sounds seriously awesome! And what kind of weather are you guys having that you still have tomatoes in Oct?
We’ve had an amazing fall. It has been so warm and beautiful, I’m praying it will continue at least through Halloween!